Wrapped in neutral toned polymer sheaths lies the untapped potential of past computing power. Perhaps the victim of a marketing technique of constantly releasing incrementally better devices and the cold dispatch of an increasingly disposable attitude toward technology, society has created a dearth of unused devices. Personal computers, screens, last year's phone, video games, electronic toys and other devices that have processing power, a display, a speaker, or haptic output. These devices, which once held the full attention of their users, have been neglected amid the tide of progress. Picture the island of unwanted toys existing in closets, shelves, and drawers throughout the world. Discarded for a newer model, a bigger screen, the latest trend or a cracked facade, these devices may still possess compute power or other untapped resources. While there are efforts to recycle these devices, strip them of the rare earth metals decorating their sea green wafer-like innards, there is a need to realize their potential through a more direct method.
The family media node is in metastasis where the differences between television, media player and personal computer seem particularly arbitrary. The proliferation of software defined networks (SDN) and internet of things (IoT) is expected to further blur the roles of various devices. Nevertheless, it is also expected that manufacturers will continue to differentiate themselves in terms of the role, import and capabilities of their devices. Again this differentiation causes users to focus on certain devices for certain purposes. The potential of leveraging the capability of various devices within a local area is overlooked. As a result, there is a need to inventory these capabilities and deliver them as needed or desired in support of the user experience.
This disclosure is directed to solving one or more of the problems in the existing technology.